1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cleaning the interior surfaces of hollow articles. The present invention relates more particularly to an improved method of blast cleaning such surfaces, for instance with high-pressure water. The present invention is useful for cleaning objects such as tanks, wherein the interior surfaces are within an enclosed environment. Cleaning operations contemplated within the scope of the disclosed invention include removal of coatings such as paint.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known that blasting, using media such high-pressure water, or an abrasive media such as sand, or other media, can be used to clean many types of surfaces on various objects such as metallic tanks or vessel hulls. This type of cleaning has been applied to removal of coatings such as paint. However, these known methods of cleaning create a need for protection of the worker applying the cleaning method and the substrate which is being cleaned. For example, in abrasive blasting (e.g., sand blasting), there is a need to provide respiratory protection for the worker. As another example, high-pressure water blasting can lead to flash rusting of a metal substrate surface, especially if the substrate has been exposed to saline solutions or other corrosive materials.
The potential for such undesirable effects is even greater when blasting operations are carried out within an enclosed space. For example, high-pressure water blasting is often used to remove coatings from surfaces. However, when high-pressure water blasting is employed within an enclosed space, the temperature and humidity within that space will rise rapidly and create a fog bank. Other blasting methods also create similar undesirable effects when applied within enclosed spaces. Heretofore, the inability to overcome these undesirable effects has prevented the efficient application of high-pressure water blasting to the interior surfaces of enclosed spaces.